The gilet has a slightly awkward reputation. Depending on who you ask it is either the most practical thing in the wardrobe or something worn exclusively by estate agents and men who own a quad. The truth is that it solves a specific Irish problem better than anything else, and most men who try one end up wearing it more than they expected.
What a gilet actually does
A gilet — body warmer, if you prefer — keeps your core warm and leaves your arms free. That sounds trivial. It isn't.
Most of the time in Ireland you are not cold. You are slightly cold, in a way that a jumper fixes for ten minutes and then overheats you. The gilet exists for the enormous middle ground between a jumper and a coat, which in this country runs from roughly September to May.
The arms matter more than the warmth. If you drive, lift, work outdoors, carry children, or spend a day going in and out of buildings, sleeves are the thing that gets in your way. A gilet gives you insulation where you need it and mobility where you need that.
The three types
Padded and quilted. The most common. Synthetic or down fill, usually in a diamond or channel quilt. Warm, light, packs into a bag. This is the one to start with — the Barbour Winter Finn sits in our Barbour quilted collection.
Fleece. Softer, more casual, works best as a mid-layer under a coat rather than as an outer layer. Good for the shoulder seasons and for wearing indoors in a cold building. See our fleeces.
Wool or knitted. Smarter, cut closer, and the only version that works over a shirt in a way that looks deliberate rather than functional. Wears more like a waistcoat than outerwear.
How it should fit
Closer than a coat. The whole point is that it goes under things, so a gilet that fits like a jacket will be unwearable as a mid-layer.
The armholes should sit high and close to your body — a low, wide armhole lets cold air straight in and looks sloppy. The hem should reach your belt or just below. Any longer and it looks borrowed; any shorter and your lower back is exposed every time you bend.
Zip it up and raise your arms. If the whole gilet rides up to your chest, it is too small through the body.
Three ways to wear one
Over a jumper, as the outer layer. The default. A padded gilet over a crew neck from our knitwear collection, with jeans or chinos. This is autumn in Ireland, more or less.
Under a coat, as the mid-layer. Where the gilet earns its keep in real cold. It adds core warmth without adding bulk to the sleeves, so your coat still fits properly over it. A fleece or thin padded gilet under a waxed or wool coat from the coats and jackets range is warmer than either piece alone and much less restrictive than two jackets. Our guide to choosing a winter coat covers what to put over it.
Over a shirt, smart-casual. Harder to pull off, and only the wool or knitted versions really manage it. Over a plain shirt with chinos, it reads as considered. Over a patterned shirt with jeans, it reads as a man on his way to check on cattle.
What not to do
Don't wear a padded gilet over a suit jacket. The shoulders fight each other and the whole thing looks like an afterthought.
Don't buy one in the same colour and fabric as a coat you already own, unless you specifically want them to layer as a set. Navy quilted over navy quilted is a common and avoidable mistake.
And don't size up thinking you'll wear a big jumper under it. Gilets are designed with layering room already built in.
Is it worth it?
If you own a coat and a jumper and you're still reaching for the wrong one most mornings, yes. The gilet is the piece that fills the gap between them, and in a climate that spends most of the year in that gap, it gets a surprising amount of wear.
Browse the full gilet collection online with free delivery over €89 across Ireland, or try a few on in store — we're on High Street in Ennis, four floors, and click and collect is available on everything.